STRICTLY speaking Saddam Hussein is in violation of Resolution 1441. As the latest Blix report confirmed yesterday, Iraq is not undertaking full and unconditional disarmament.

Nevertheless the progress made by the weapons inspectors has been substantial, more than most members of the United Nations Security Council could have hoped for when the resolution was passed four months ago.

Many at the UN are convinced that Saddam Hussein is going some way towards compliance because of the threat of military action. Why then not sustain that threat to see if there is any prospect of total compliance at a reasonable time in the future?

The deadline of March 17, proposed last night by the British Government, is too near. It does not give Iraq sufficient time to demonstrate whether or not there is progress in disarmament. And crucially, it does not give Dr Blix and his teams of weapons inspectors sufficient time to verify such progress.

There appears to be increasing agreement within the UN that the diplomatic options against Iraq have not been exhausted, and that military action at this stage cannot be justified.

The British and US administrations must recognise that consensus and hold back any plans for unilateral action.

To go to war to enforce a UN resolution without the support of the UN will risk the direst consequences for the international community.